Pisces (Feb 18 – March 20) 

As February moves towards March, the signs in the heavens above us shift – and we enter the realm of Pisces. The symbol for this Zodiac sign has always been that of two fish, separate but bound together. The importance of fish, symbolic of the ocean, of freedom, but also of nourishment and livelihood for so many people cannot be overstated.

The fish symbols in the Pisces sign can be interpreted in many ways. Just as the fish that symbolize this sign swim free in the oceans and rivers, those born under this sign are free-thinkers and dreamers. Often some of the most imaginative people around, there is an inner life and zest to Pisces that can be truly beautiful.

It will come as no surprise to many that Pisces is a Water Sign. We will expand on the roles of the different elements in Zodiac signs in a separate article.

If you have ever wanted to see your aura, the fact is that you may be able to do so.  In a method called Kirlian photography (so named after Semyon Kirlian) it is possible to take a photograph of someone or something while it is on a photographic plate and subjected to a strong electric field, and actually get an image of the objects energy field, or aura.  Indeed, believers in Kirlian photography’s validity will attest that the fact that energy fields are able to be photographed in such a manner is irrefutable proof of the existence of auras.

Kirlian himself spent a good portion of his time promoting and pushing the idea that these photographs were able to prove beyond all doubt that every living object has an energy force or aura.  In a famous experiment, Kirlian claimed that he cut a leaf in half and then photographed it using the Kirlian method.  He stated that the resulting image was showed the energy field put off by half-leaf actually showed the leaf as still being whole, as though it had never been cut at all.  According to Kirlian, this was proof of the aura of the leaf.

We have often discussed the Sabbats as the primary days in which Practitioners of the Craft perform Rituals. In the Wheel of the Year, there are eight total Sabbats that occur at regular intervals, approximately every month and a half. The Greater Sabbats include Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain while Ostara, Litha, Mabon (or Madron), and Yule constitute the Lesser Sabbats. While these days are generally considered a time for celebration and enjoyment for Wiccans and other followers of the Craft, there are other days of Ritual that require very strenuous work. These are referred to as Esbats.

The most common Esbats occur during the ending stages of a full moon and the start of a new moon, about twice a month. However, these are not the only Esbats. In fact, Doreen Valiente needed to specify between Esbats associated with the Lunar Cycle and others, as many practitioners mistakenly believed that Esbats were only held during Full Moons, twelve times throughout the year. Though one must not compel an Esbat when it is not wholly necessary, an individual may perform an Esbat at any time. For example, many Wiccans hold Esbats during the eclipses, during the passing of a comet, and at certain significant moments of celestial orbits, such as when the paths of Uranus and Pluto cross. Nonetheless, as the Lunar Cycle will inevitably continue its routine each month, these are the only definite Esbats throughout the Wheel of the Year.